Earth has been a scarred ruin for three decades, its scattered people struggling to endure amid the poisoned and radioactive wreckage of the final war between its despotic Superpowers. While the people of Earth fight to survive, out on the frontier, on a thousand worlds, mankind thrives and grows, building new civilizations and looking boldly to the future. But man has never been able to live in peace, and even Earth’s sad fate has failed to slow the call to war.

Most of the colonies lack the industry and economic power to sustain their own armies and navies, and they look to the mercenaries of the Great Companies for aid in time of war. These futuristic condottiere contract themselves to the highest bidder, and the mightiest strike fear into the hearts of all who oppose them.

Darius Cain is the leader of the Black Eagles, the most renowned of all the Companies. A military genius, he has led his undefeated warriors from victory to victory. The Eagles command the highest rates of any of the Companies, and leaders bankrupt worlds to pay their price.

But amid the ruins of Earth and on planets all across occupied space there are signs of a greater darkness, a force working in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike, to launch a final war to reduce all mankind to slavery.

As Cain slowly uncovers the truth, he must forge an alliance among old enemies, the other Companies his men have fought for years…and the twin brother he hasn’t seen in a decade.

The Crimson Worlds are about to explode into a war that may be mankind’s last.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

He currently lives in New York City and has been reading science fiction and fantasy for just about as long as he has been reading. My tastes are fairly varied and eclectic, but his favorites are military and dystopian science fiction and epic fantasy, usually a little bit gritty.

He write a lot of science fiction with military themes, but also other SF and some fantasy as well. He likes complex characters and lots of backstory and action. He thinks world-building is the heart of science fiction and fantasy, and since that is what he has always been drawn to as a reader, that is what he writes.

This book continues the story from the original Crimson Worlds 9 book set.

Unfortunately it lacks content and depth. There's potential here, but it felt like half a book. I don't feel that it meets the description either (quick name 1 Great Company Darius tries to recruit). This book takes place 33 years after the Fall. Due to rejuv and advanced medical technologies a lot of the original characters are still around; Sarah, Roderick, Garrett, etc.

In the decades since Earth fell, the colonies have struggled, they've fallen into fighting amongst themselves, and in many places they've turned into dictator-controlled hell holes. The ideals the Marines fought for are lost and forgotten, as is the Corps except for a rump force that still hangs on as an attachment to Armstrong. This is General Erik Cain's nightmare, that the colony worlds would throw everything away in a fit of short term thinking by a disinterested electorate. They're disorganized, prone to petty arguments, and weak... and ready to be exploited and attacked by an unknown threat.

The would-be attackers plan to strike hard and fast seizing control of Human Space by projecting direct and indirect power. They work to suborn existing governments, to proliferate criminal organizations under their banner, and to use their own military forces to establish total control. One of the crucial steps in their plan is to eliminate any force that a resistance might be able to coalesce around. Enter Darius Cain and the Black Eagles. They're mercenaries, but they're the best in known space - as accomplished and tough as the Marines ever were... so they must be destroyed outright. The enemy will learn a hard lesson, a Cain and his troops are Very hard to kill.

I don't know if he's incredibly prolific or been writing for a while (I suspect it's the former; maybe both), but suddenly I see several series all based on the same universe, which isn't such a bad thing. Because Allan has done his homework in creating the universe that Mercs takes place in. It's a place where mankind has expanded to many other planets, only to have the earth destroyed by a nuclear war among the superpowers. With them gone, most of the industrial base and centralized government is gone as well. Individual planets, former colonies, are trying to forge their own way. There is conflict between them, and some want to foster that conflict, using it to further their own power in the human sphere. Others realize that humanity needs to unite against outside forces that threatened once before the nuclear war and may soon return.

That's a look at what's going on in the universe. But the more interesting story is that of the individuals, particularly that of the Cain family: General Eric Cain, who led human forces against aliens and won the war, then was killed; and his two twin sons, Darius, who now leads the Black Eagles, the most powerful group of mercenaries in known space, and Elias Cane, who blindly follows the law and is opposed to everything that his brother stands for. As they are gathered together, they realized that they most work together despite their differences or else humanity will suffer.

Allan has a couple of things going for him with this book, and I am assuming, this series. He has a very firm grasp on this universe and what is happening. Reading this, you can't not believe that he knows what he is talking about. Now that I see how many other books are set in the same universe, it makes sense. The second part of that is characterization. He does a good job a making you care about the people in the story, which is important. This is a huge story, and because it is taking a while to unfold, I normally wouldn't have the patience to wade through the slow parts, but I found myself pretty patient. That's a good sign.

That being said, this is obvious self published, and he desperately needs a proofreader. Found at least a dozen--possibly two dozen--typos on my way through the story. But none of them were so horrendous that they made me stop and throw up my hands.

Now that I know that there are other series in this universe, I am going to go back and take a look at what other parts of the grand story he tells, and I might start over. But if you like military science fiction on a grand scale, this is pretty good.

Sadly disappointed, I have purchased several of Jay's series and enjoyed them immensely. I purchased this complete set based on my previous experience and wished I hadn't.It's all about unnecessary dialog, FOR ME, it detracts from the story line and just plain takes up space. I mean, who gives a crap.Example: In chapter 4 of book 2, Darius is sparring with Axe. He goes into 4 pages of dialog about Axe, his history, his rescue, his treatment, his recovery and what he feels his potential is. Stuff we already know. He sees an opening and smacks Axe in the head, knocking him down. Then tells Axe to focus and keep his mind clear, yeah like you were doing, right.I'm done with this set, wish I could get my money back.Jay you are being demoted from a "favored" author to one that needs to have the first book in a series read before purchasing more of them. Get your game back, dude.

This story is a continuation of the Crimson World series. The sons of Eric Cain, one of the heroes of the Crimson World series, continue his legacy of giving it their all in different ways than their father. The worlds have changed and lost much of the capabilities of their ancestors as well as the cooperation between the many worlds. It is a dog eat dog universe now. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more in the series. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a militaristic future dystopian story.

Jay Allen does it again! The follow-up series to Crimson Worlds is another masterpiece picking-up 33 years in the future where Crimson Worlds left off. The introduction of new characters to familiar ones brings you in quickly to this fast placed, battle intensive story. From start to finish you will find yourself hooked and unable to put this book down. This was a quick read for me having just finished the 9 book series, Crimson Worlds. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys space battles as much as I do. Buy it, read it and pass the word...